Tamil Nadu - Erode   

`Cauvery river is dying'

R. Sundaram

If the Government does not view it seriously, the water source will be ruined

PITIABLE CONDITION: The Cauvery river in Erode. — PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

ERODE: If the Government did not view the contamination of the Cauvery River seriously, one of the main water sources in the State would be ruined, warned D. Subbu, secretary in-charge, Tamilaga Vivasayeegal Sangam.

Effluents

Pointing out that the river was `dying', Mr. Subbu told The Hindu that hundreds of industries on either side of the river discharged treated and untreated waste into it. Sewage from the local bodies too mixed with the river.

A number of polluted rivers such as the Bhavani and the Noyyal too merge with the Cauvery. With this, at least 1,000 cusecs of contaminated water got mixed with the Cauvery every day, along its course from Mettur to Nagapattinam, Mr Subbu said.

Industrialisation

As part of industrialisation, the Government encouraged the formation of new industries — many of which caused pollution, he said.

For instance, hundreds of dyeing and hosiery units were opened in Tirupur. These units let off untreated effluents into the Noyyal river, which in turn reached the Orathupalayam reservoir — affecting thousands of acres.

The industries have now been asked not to discharge effluents as the reservoir is being cleaned.

However, even on Wednesday morning, 65 cusecs of contaminated water was flowing into the reservoir, and the storage in the dam stood at .37 feet, said Mr. Subbu. This, he said, showed that the industries had not erected reverse osmosis plants, and continued to discharge effluents.

Effluents were discharged `directly' into the Cauvery in Komarapalayam and Pallipalayam too.

The meagre flow in the Cauvery river would not dilute the contamination. Again, the river water also mixed with Veeranam — used by the public in Chennai.

All the way from Mettur to Chennai, many towns were supplied only with this contaminated water, which caused various ailments, said Mr. Subbu.

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